Racing was brought to a standstill at the Canadian Grand Prix after Alex Albon crashed into a barrier while attempting to avoid a marmot on the track. The 30-year-old’s shunt triggered a second red flag of the session, following an earlier stoppage caused by a mechanical failure on Liam Lawson’s car.
The Williams suffered significant damage coming out of turn six after making contact with the wall. Albon was navigating the turn 6-7 chicane when the animal darted across his racing line, causing extensive damage to the left-hand side of the car, which skidded across the track before stopping just short of the right-hand barriers.
Albon underwent medical checks following the incident, with the crash attributed to a groundhog dashing across the circuit.
Organisers attempt to relocate as many of the creatures from the island as possible ahead of race weekend, though not all are accounted for. Racing was suspended for 20 minutes to carry out track repairs and clear up the scene before action resumed.
The incident only deepens the misery for Albon, who claimed his first point of the season at the Miami Grand Prix.
Sky Sports F1’s David Croft said: “We may not see a replay of the crash because there may have been a marmot involved and that Alex was trying to get out of the way out of one of the local inhabitants.”
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Ted Kravitz added: “The Williams engineers and mechanics are chatting with team principal James Vowles to work out what repairs are necessary on Albon’s car.
“Albon is back in the garage, while the unsavoury job of cleaning his crash helmet has gone to his trainer, Patrick.
“There could not be a more unfortunate driver to hit a groundhog as his pets have their own Instagram page. You could not find more of an animal lover.”
View 2 ImagesAlex Albon crashed during FP1 at the Canadian Grand Prix.(Image: Sky Sports F1)
It proved to be an eventful opening qualifying session in Montreal, with a technical fault disrupting Lawson’s attempts. The two incidents occurred just 12 minutes apart after the New Zealand driver reported a loss of steering and hydraulic problems.
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However, with his stricken car stranded in an awkward spot on the circuit, marshals faced the challenge of clearing it from the track. Racing got back underway roughly six minutes later, with drivers given an additional four minutes of qualifying time.
Max Verstappen had set the early pace ahead of Isack Hadjar and Oscar Piastri after storming around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. However, Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Piastri came surging through, with the McLaren eventually seizing the lead.
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